Massachusetts man labeled habitual offender after rape convictions in Plymouth and Suffolk Counties, granted parole with conditions

A man from Massachusetts who was found guilty of rape in many counties has been given parole with restrictions.

On February 8, 1999, a 16-year-old Scituate girl woke up to discover Reginald Butler, 34, of Boston, seated on her bed with his windbreaker hood down to hide his face, according to the Parole Board. Butler repeatedly pounded the woman in the ribs over the course of 20 minutes, raped her, and held a sharp silver object—either a knife or a pair of scissors—to her throat. To keep her from seeing him, he instructed her to lie face down. The victim called a friend right away to tell them what had transpired after he departed. Later, she visited the hospital. The victim initially kept the rapist a secret out of fear of reprisals against her and her family.

The woman revealed that she had identified her attacker as her neighbor’s relative around five weeks after the incident. Reginald Butler appeared in a photo array shortly after, and the victim recognized him.

Butler broke into the victim’s Chelsea apartment in the middle of the night on September 13, 1991, in a Suffolk County case. The victim had slept off on the couch in the living room while watching TV when she was by herself in her apartment. She had gone out with several pals earlier in the evening. Butler had been among the group at different times over the evening. The victim had rejected Butler’s sexual approaches during the socializing, including his offer to trade cocaine for sex. Butler was residing in the same building as the victim in an apartment with a buddy. When the victim woke up at 4:00 a.m., Butler was on top of her and trying to engage in sexual activity. The victim tried to punch and kick him in resistance. He smacked the victim, cursed at her, and carried on the assault. Butler grew more irate and violent, which made the victim more terrified. She finally stopped resisting physically because she was afraid of him.

Later on the morning of September 13th, the victim reported the crimes. The victim, two of her friends, and a police officer were the four witnesses who noticed damage to the victim’s apartment door. Butler broke through the locked apartment door, the victim told the police.

The victim received medical attention at the hospital. A vaginal swab that came with a rape kit tested positive for semen. (The defendant reportedly ejaculated, according to the victim.) According to DNA tests conducted by Cellmark Laboratories, Butler’s DNA profile and the one derived from the vaginal swab match.

Butler was found guilty of aggravated rape on February 1, 2002, following a jury trial in Plymouth County Superior Court. Following a trial without a jury, Butler was found guilty of being a habitual offender on February 8, 2002, and given a life sentence with the possibility of release. Butler was also found guilty of rape in Suffolk County in 2003. In addition to the life sentence, he was given a sentence of nine to fifteen years in jail.

Following both his initial parole hearing in 2016 and his review hearing in 2021, Butler was denied parole. On July 23, 2024, 60-year-old Butler showed up for his review hearing.

On November 20th, the Board released its ruling.

According to the Board, Butler has clearly complied with its recommendations since his last appearance before the Board in 2021. Butler has specifically participated in therapy to address concerns related to past trauma identified in prior evaluations. He has also finished several Restorative Justice Programs to gain a better understanding of empathy, mending harm, and the underlying causes of his behavior. Butler has also finished the S.O.T.P. program and mentored others in it. The Board acknowledges that drug usage may have contributed to the underlying convictions, even though Butler has been sober for 25 years. According to the Board, Butler has tried to address the underlying crime’s causative circumstances and will keep doing so after being released.

One of Butler’s two victims and a victim’s relative spoke to the Board against release. Assistant District Attorneys Karen Polumbo of Plymouth County and Montez Haywood of Suffolk County also spoke before the Board against parole. The Board heard testimony from Mr. Butler’s uncle, a friend, and his appellate lawyer in support of the case.

Butler’s release is subject to the following requirements: two weeks of work leave; curfew, which requires him to remain at home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at the discretion of the parole officer; electronic monitoring; Report to the designated MA Parole Office on the day of release; supervise for drugs with testing in compliance with Agency policy; supervise for alcohol abstinence with testing in compliance with Agency policy;no communication with the victim’s family; must undergo a substance abuse assessment and adhere to all guidelines; bereavement and childhood trauma counseling; Sex-A criteria are required for the residential program CRJ.

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